Kentucky Wildcats TV has the video of John Calipari’s press conference in Arkansas last night. Watch as Cal commends his opponent for playing a great game in the “tough loss” for his Wildcats.

Two quotes that stood out:

Kentucky didn’t quit…

“I’m proud of my team that they didn’t quit, they kept playing. We executed — that gives us a chance when it was, when we went down three. You know stuff that we’ve worked on, we did, and we got the shot we wanted. We’re just — the last shot, the kid watched. My guy watched and the guy ran by him and dunked it. You know what? He’s a freshman and that’s what freshmen do.”

Julius Randle would be a gold medalist in sumo wrestling running…

“(Randle) gets cramps because he gets whacked so much. It’s hard. He’s playing sumo wrestling and running. It’s hard. That’s a new sport. He’d be a gold medalist in that sport.

Also from Kentucky Wildcats TV, Julius Randle intervened to say the team shares the blame when James Young was asked about not boxing out on the game’s final play. The video starts right as Randle chimed in:

I’m no means blaming the refs for our loss last night but here are a few things that bothered me. These new rules are just beyond horrible. Every basketball player in the history of the sport has been taught to play defense a certain way. These freshmen have probably played for 13 or 14 years of their lives a certain way and now all of a sudden they are supposed to forget all they have learned and start all over again? That being said, I don’t think this one rule has changed but it looked like it must have been changed for this game. That being when two players that are going for a loose ball and no one has control of it, both players have the right to go get that loose ball. Let me see if I can remember most of the calls I’m talking about. (1) Polson and an Arkansas player goes chasing after a rebound and Polson gains possession of the rebound just as they bump into each other. That should have been a no call or a foul on Arkansas because Polson had possession. (2) Randle saves the ball and throws it at an Arkansas player but it ends up on the floor with Young and an Arkansas player fighting to get the ball, arms and hands were going in every direction trying secure the ball. They call Young with the foul even though no one had possession. There shouldn’t have been a foul call at all as both had the right to go to retrieve the loose ball. Neither player was holding or pushing each other.(3) Harrison dives on the floor and slides six feet out of bounds and throw it back in play. I think it was Young and an Arkansas was fighting for the ball, again there was no holding or pushing just trying to grap the loose ball. Again there should not have been a foul called because they were trying to retrieve a loose ball. No one had control when the foul was called. In all three of these instances, Arkansas got the call.

Well, they went to the monitor and gave us our flagrant on Lee. They went to the monitor and let their player get away with a flagrant. The Randle one wasn’t a made call so they just missed it. No excuse for going to the monitor and still not calling it.

Regardless of win or loss, I always loved watching the UK-Arkansas games especially from the 90’s. Great games and a great rivalry. Just think how great these games would be again if these kids would stick around 2-3 years.

Back in the 90’s that was “The” game to watch every year. Arkansas had some great teams and we both liked to press and run. Plus, they didn’t call a foul on every possession. The NCAA is going to have to admit it made a mistake and lets get back to playing basketball again.

We should get in cause blaming losses on the refs should make those losses count less… lol on serious note i think Saturday is a huge game .We dont want to get our 5th loss already and be 2-2 in a bad conference …

Not that it matters that much, but when Jimmy Dykes was being interviewed on KSR, he stated that in this particular circumstance on their home floor, Arkansas was effectively a top ten team, and I tend to agree with him. You can’t really account for how much a team can raise their level of play when they have a raucous crowd giving them energy, while at the same time they would see their season slipping away with a second consecutive home loss. That is the main reason that I am not taking this loss as badly. Our team kept fighting back in spite of being down repeatedly. This is a young team, and making mistakes is part of the learning process. That being said, they are going to face crowds like this for nearly every SEC road game, so they better get used to it.

If you put Florida in our place – facing a team that already took a loss at home and was hungry to make a statement – I think they would have fared similarly. Does that make Florida a bubble team?

75 percent? You don’t want much, do you? Do you know how many out of 351 D1 teams are averageing 75%? Twenty-four. And they are powerhouses like Lamar, Oakland, Iupui,Pacific…. the better teams / players just don’t focus on FTs

1. Arkansas is good at home. Very good, and unlike last year, we didn’t get killed by settling for jump shots as soon as things got hectic.

2. We lost on a fluke play. I know, the one time in the game we don’t box out. Whatever, fluke plays happen.

3. We get these guys again in Rupp in February. Sadly for the Hawgs, you can’t play every game at Bud Walton. Take care of business the rest of the way and avoid any bad losses and UK is still in the hunt for a 2 seed.

It will hurt us a lot. Because just like you said they lose outside of Bud Walton. So they’ll end up with a bad record and kill our RPI. We’d have to win-out for a 2 seed and that ain’t going to happen. Gonna be a 5 or 6 seed.

I think the truth will land somewhere in between – predicting a 3 or 4 seed for this team. IF they win out (unlikely), a 2 is in reach, depending on what the rest of the top 10 teams do. Lose a couple more against the likes of UF or Mizzou, and they should end up somewhere around a 3. But we need to beat Florida at least once. I think this team is capable. Glad we don’t see the Gators until Feb.

I disagree with you, mostly because there are still 15 SEC games remaining. We’re still in the running for a two seed. If we can run the table the rest of the way and win the conference tourney, we can still get a one, but I doubt that will happen.

Arkansas is better that what you’re giving them credit for. The win over us will turn their season around.

Cal hit the nail on the head; ” I can’t make them do it (the extra work) they have to do it on their own. If I make them do it they become exausted, When they do it themselves they become inspired.” That people is imparting wisdom. That is mentoring and developing. To get the most out of the experience the guys have to believe in and employ wise counsel. He is talking about personal growth. I can and have been critical of Cal but he has never said or done anything to make me questioned his commitment to our players or the content of what he is trying to impart to them.

Was it just a coincidence that ESPN’s Super Tuesday ratings have been down this year and two big upsets just happened to occur on the same night on ESPN? Both Indiana and Ark got some home court cooking from the refs which was just enough to tip the scales. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that the NCAA would ever fix a game to benefit one of their biggest broadcasters, or am I? They’re watching me.

“Through the 2013-2014 current season, Roger Ayers has called two Kentucky games..UNC game and last nights game. Of those two games the officiating has called 60 and 57 fouls respectively. Of all the games Ayers has been apart of this season, those two KY games rank 1 and 2 for most fouls per game. He has all the power..”

“They are young. That’s what freshmen do.” I can’t stop thinking about it because I’m tired of hearing it. Young has nothing to do with freethrows and boxing out. So do we really have to wait till Feb/March every year. I don’t recall any of this logic in 2012. Brase yourself folks. This is about to be a bumpy ride.

If we would have gotten anything out of WCS last night it would have never made it to OT.I know he got into some foul trouble early but his head was never in the game. I just cannot figure him out. Some nights he is trying to block every shot that is put up inside and then there are nights like last night that he doesn’t even try to block shots. We have zero charges drawn for the year. Let me say that again. We have drawn zero charges on the year. Why would WCS even attempt a charge with his arms down to his side instead of challenging the shot at the rim?

I really think Mr. Young is a good player, but he is soft on the Defensive end. Go back and watch the tape. Missed assignments, not sprinting back and not crashing the boards. Play both ends young fella and you will get drafted high!

Calipari talks out both sides of his mouth. One minute he’s telling us that Randle needs to be taken out more often and getting re-hydrated to alleviate the cramps; now he’s saying that Randle gets whacked around to much. Which is it coach?